Shovel attachment for crawler tractors



Oct. 7, 1952 s. F; BRADFORD 2,613,006

SHOVEL ATTACHMENT FOR CRAWLER TRACTORS Filed Aug. 20, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l S. F. BRADFORD SHOVEL. ATTACHMENT FOR GRAWLER TACTORS i 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 7, 1952 lNifENToR. 5H/@PEM Fn/@F090 BY v Arrive/fr Oct. 7, 1952 y s. F. BRADFORD 2,613,006

SHOVEL ATTACHMENT FOR GRAW-LER TRACTORS..

Filed Aug. 20, `1949 3 Sheets-sheet 3 2 /5 Lgf/ J /f f 4 i HW||U||\|\WWIWNIIW I 5 I W!! AA AAI .v v- I /0 .J* O r i 11 INVENTOR.

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Patented Oct. 7, 1952` oFFlcE sHovEL ATTACHMENT Fon CRAWLER 'rRAo'roRs y;

Shirrell F. Bradford, liongmont,` Colo.

Application August 20, 1949, SeriaLNo. 111,469 n 1 Claim.

. I l This invention relates :to a shovel attachment for tractors, and Whilel more particularly de signed for tractors of the Caterpillar type, the invention can be applied to any suitable type of tractor. y

The` principal object of the invention is to pro# vide a simple, sturdy, highly ehloient, hydraulically operated mechanism whereby a shovel can be loaded by simply driving the tractor into the pile of material, and which will elevate the shovel and discharge the contents into" a truck at the opposite extremity of the tractor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ydevice of this character which will have a minimum of operating parts, and which will eliminate the cables, sheaves and tracks usually employed in a shovel of this character.A Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy. and eiciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates the improved shovel in the loading position and in place on a conventional Caterpillar tractor;

Fig. 2 is a similar View, illustrating the shovel in the load-carrying position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, illustrating the shovel in the load-dumping position; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof in the loading position.

In Fig. l a conventional tractor is illustrated at I0. The improved shovel attachment is mounted on two side frame members I I designed to be attached along each side of the tractor I in any suitable manner. Each side frame member II is provided with two projecting stub shafts, a shovel stub shaft I2 positioned adjacent the rear of the frame member, and a hydraulic cylinder shaft I3 positioned adjacent the forward extremity thereof.

The movable portion of the improved shovel consists of a single unitary structure comprising two shovel beams and a shovel I5, all Welded or otherwise secured together to form a complete unit. Each shovel beam is somewhat L- shaped, and each comprises a hinged leg portion IIB integrally formed at an angle of approximately 125 to the axis of a shovel arm portion I4 so as to form a bent shovel beam.

:The rear extremity of each hinge leg portion I5 is closed by means of a gusset plate I1 which supports a bearing sleeve I8 which is rotatably mounted upon the shovel stub shaft I2. The intersection of the leg portion I6 with the shovel arm I4 is preferably reinforced by means of side gusset plates I9 which extend downwardly to form supporting ears for a hydraulic ram shaft 20. The forward extremities of the shovel arm portions I4 terminate in a supporting frame structure 2I which supports the shovel I5 there- The shovel is formed with a back plate 22 and a bottom plate 23 positioned at an angle of approximately to each other so that when the shovel `is in the loading position of Fig. l, the bottom plate will lie horizontally, while the backing plate 23 inclines rearwardly at an angle of approximately 40 from the vertical. The bottom plate 23 is reinforced by a shovel edge plate 24.

A hydraulic cylinder 25 is hingedly mounted at its forward extremity on each of the cylinder shafts I3. Each of the cylinders 25 carries an inner telescoping cylinder 26 from which a hydraulic plunger 21 projects. Hydraulic fluid is fed to the cylinders 25 through flexible hoses 28 from hydraulic piping 29 leading to any suitable valving and pumping mechanism on the tractor Ill.

A tension spring 130 may be attached to the gusset plates I9 at each side of the tractor. The springs 30 terminate in flexible chains 3I connected to spring studs 32 on the frames II adjacent the shafts I3.

In use, the shovel is driven forwardly into the pile of material to be loaded, indicated at A in Fig. l. The hydraulic cylinders 25 are then operated to force the upper extremities of the hinge leg portions I6 rearwardly over the shafts I2. This causes the forward extremities of the shovel beams I4 to elevate to the position of Fig. 2. The loaded material rolls back against the back plate 22 and can be transported to any desired position.

For dumping, the tractor is backed up to the dumping point, such as to a truck 33. The cylinders 25 are then further actuated to extend the telescoping inner cylinders and the plungers 21 so as to swing the shovel to the position of Fig. 3, allowing the load to discharge by gravity from the back plate 23 into the truck 33.

In swinging to the dumping position, the weight of the shovel and the shovel arms may swing beyond the vertical plane of the shovel shafts I2. Any suitable means may be provided for returning the shovel to the forward side of this plane so that it may descend by gravity. As illustrated. the springs 30 and the chains 3l will serve this purpose, for as the shovel approaches the dumping position of Fig. 3, the springs 30 will be stretched so that when the hydraulic pressure is relieved in the cylinders 25, the springs will act to pull the shovel toward the position of Fig.,2, from whence it will return to the lposition kof Fig. 1 by gravity.

If desired, the shovel may be returned hydraulically by connecting a hydraulic hose to the upper portion of the cylinder 25 in order toforce the;

pistons therein toward the pivot pin I3.

While a specific form of the improvement has ram pvotally mounted on each ram-carrying been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied,"within the scope of the appended claim, withoutv departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is: A tractor shovel comprising a tractor, an elongatedA substantially horizontal frame member mounted along each side of the lower portion of said tractor, a pivot member projecting outwardly from each frame member adjacent the rear endthereof, a ram-carrying shaft projecting outwardly from each frame member adjacent the front end thereof,a shovel-carrying beam at each sideof the tractor pivoted at its rear end to a companion pivot member and extending forwardly at an upward incline for a portion of its length and then at a downward incline for the remainder of "its length, the downwardly inclined portions of said beams being of a 4length adapting them to extend beyond the front endof the tractor to a` point adjacent Ythe ground, a shovel carried by and supported between the front `ends of the shaft and extending rearwardly therefrom at an upward incline .and having its rear end pivoted to the pvot shaft adjacent the shovel-carrying beam, theJsaid rams being sufliciently extensible yto Swing the shovel carrying beams upwardly and rearwardly to an elevated position shifting the backing plate from a rearwardly and upwardly inclined position ahead of the tractor to a-rearwardly' and downwardly inclined discharging position above and to the rear of the tractor, and means for returning the beams and the shovel to the loading poistion.

SHIRRELL F. BRADFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The. following 'references are of recordin .the le'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,285,624 Clark Nov. 26, 1918 2,019,938 Y Stephens Nov. 5, 1935 2,446,938 r Losch` Aug. 10, 1948 2,488,699 Anthony Nov. 22, 1949 

